Western Europe's Car Sales Rise

Car sales in Western Europe rose 3.3% in the first half, as strong results elsewhere made up for Germany's weak demand, which could be troubling for Volkswagen AG, the European arm of General Motors Corp. and others with a large presence there.

The data, derived from the registrations of new cars and gathered by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, showed Asian auto makers benefited from higher European sales at the expense of their rivals. Sales by Japanese car makers such as Toyota Motor Corp., jumped 12.1%...